Bringing Up Bates"Surgery and Surprises"
- Josie and Kelton arrive at Chesapeake’s Seafood and Raw Bar for a first anniversary date night. Josie has been wanting to go out for seafood, but she admits that she is nervous. “All the girls have been a little finicky about seafood, just because we didn’t necessarily grow up with Mom cooking it or eating it or anything like that,” explains Erin. Josie enjoys the shrimp and cod but isn’t a big fan of the scallops. The only seafood she has tried are fish sticks, and she didn’t like them.
- “You are such an incredible mother,” Kelton tells Josie. The couple’s first year was a whirlwind, but Josie says that her hope for their second year is for things to calm down. She wants to spend a lot of time together and make the most of everything.
- “Having Willow has made us stronger and has certainly made us grow closer together as a couple,” Kelton shares. “She is an absolute joy and a blessing to our lives, and we couldn’t be more thankful.” Speaking of Willow, the baby girl is hanging out with the Keilens while the Balkas are on their date.
- “The one thing that just stands out about Michael is her love for babies,” says Kelly. “She really is just a natural. I never had to ask her. She would grab a baby and start helping out before you even had a chance to realize you needed help.”
- “When I’m around kids, I feel like I’m in my element,” says Michael. “It doesn’t matter how many they are, they’re just, they’re special.”
- “I love little kids,” says Brandon. “Little babies are a very different story. I don’t know everything there is to know about babies, and I’m afraid I’m going to break it somehow. At the end of the day, it was a lot of fun, being able to watch Willow and help Josie and Kelton out for their special day.”
- Later, everyone gathers at Gil and Kelly’s house to celebrate the September birthdays and play games. The girls compete against the guys in charades and hangman. During hangman, the Bates are stumped by the phrase “New Mini Sequel Releasing in April.” They know it’s an announcement, but they aren’t sure what it means. Bobby runs up, grabs the white board, and writes, “Tori is expecting.”
- “One of these Bates family gatherings, I’m going to have a big announcement, too,” says Lawson.
- The time has come for Gil to have his shoulder surgery. “Dad has always been Mr. Invincible, so seeing a time where he’s going to be a little vulnerable is unique because I really never see him in that state,” says Lawson.
- The doctor’s confidence in the surgery puts Gil and Kelly at ease. She and Gil film a little video to send to the kids right before the procedure. Gil makes sure to tell everyone how much he loves them, just in case he doesn’t wake up.
- After the surgery, the doctor comes in to tell Kelly how well it went. Lawson helps Kelly load Gil into the car and take him home.
- On another day, the Stewarts and Bates meet at a park for Carlin and Evan’s gender reveal. The mom-to-be cannot wait to hear the news. “From day one, I felt like I was kind of hoping for a boy because I feel like there’s this trend going on that it’s all girls, it’s like girl season,” she says.
- Everyone gets a water gun filled with paint and shoots it at Carlin and Evan, who are dressed in white. The paint is pink, which means it’s a girl! “Honey, eat your words!” Kelly shouts at Gil, whose guess was wrong. The Bates dad suggests that maybe he just got his wires crossed and Tori will be the one having the boy.